(Newser)
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The First Amendment protects even racists calling for the president’s assassination, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled today, overturning the conviction of Walter Bagdasarian. Bagdasarian was convicted of threatening to kill a presidential candidate two weeks ahead of the 2008 election for an online rant in which he called for people to “shoot the n*****,” and predicted that Obama would “have a 50 cal in his head soon,” the LA Times reports.

But in a 2-1 decision, the court said that though Bagdasarian’s comments were “repugnant,” they did not amount to an “explicit or implicit threat,” and that the law “does not criminalize predictions or exhortations to others to injure or kill the president.” But a law professor tells the San Francisco Chronicle that the Supreme Court may step in on this one. “This is a close case,” he said. “The line between punishable threats and … protected advocacy of violence, is not completely clear.”

f So we can now say fouck you obumerass or fuock you obumsterass. COOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ren1999

Jul 20, 2011 8:00 PM CDT

No, it isn't o.k. to call for the assassination of George Bush Junior. I hate the guy, but that doesn't mean he should die.

ren1999

Jul 20, 2011 7:59 PM CDT

So this guy gets away with saying "shoot the nigger". Then I suppose it would have been o.k. for him to say "shoot Gabrielle Giffords" This needs to go to the Supreme Court and this guy needs to be punished under the law for calling for people to shoot our President. It is treason!